Fruit-picker.



No.V 635,990. Patented um. 3|, |899. J. c. woon.

FRUIT PICKER;

I (Application filed Aug. 9,1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. VOOD, OF VANOEBURG,'KENTUOKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTII TO ROBERTD. WILSON, OF SAME PLACE.

FRUIT-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iietters Patent No. 635,990, dated October31, 1899.

Application led'August 9,1829. Y

To all whom, t may concern.-

Beit knownthat yI, JOHN C. WOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vanceburg, in thecounty of Lewis and State of Kentucky, haveinvented a new and useful'Fruit-Picker,` of which the following isaspecication.

My invention relates to fruit-pickers, and more particularly to thatclass of devices whichare manipulated by an operator standing upon theground and reaching up into the trees with one end of the picker andletting the fruit pass down through a suitable conduit by gravity.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind whichcan be used upon dif'- ferent varieties of fruit-as apples, peaches,pears, oranges, lemons, cherries, and the like-with equal facility; andit consists in the combination and improved construction of parts of thesame, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the' samereference-numeralv indicates a corresponding part in the view in whichit occurs, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fruit-picker embodyinglny invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views, the covering for the padbeing broken away in Fig. 3. Fig. l is a front view of the rigid jaw,and Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view of the upper portion of the twojaws. Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 6y6 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the handle,which may be of any suitable length and size to enable the operator tostand upon the ground or other suitable support and reach the fruitwhich it is desired to pick. The upper end of the handle is providedwith two jaws 2 and 3, one of which is rigidly secured to the upper endof the handle and the other one is pivotally secured below the other jawin such relation thereto that it maybe moved toward and from the fixedjaw,so as to clamp the fruit therebetween and remove it from the tree bypulling or pushing upon the handle, as is most convenient. These jawsare preferably formed of wire and are substantially oval or egg shaped,the point' of one of 'them being Serial No. 726,719. (No model.)

slightly smaller and adapted to pass into the other one, so as toprevent the fruit from spreading them apart and slipping out when thehandle is drawn downward. The larger jaw, which is in this instancel therigid one, is provided with suitable stops-as, for instance, inwardbends or crooks of the wire 4 against which the other jaw engagesl andis prevented from being drawn in too far. The free ends of the wireforming the rigid jaw are provided with bends or eye portions 5, bymeans of which they are secured to the sides of the handle by suitablepins or screws 6.

The movable jaw is provided with an angular extension 7, theintermediate portion of one arm of which is provided with eyes S, bymeans of which the jaw is secured to the side of the handle a suitabledistance below the fixed jaw by means of the pins or screws 9. Thisformation'of the extension throws the lpoint of the movable jaw'withinthe point of the upper jaw, as above described, without causing thelower end to strike against the fixed jaw. Suitable braces 10 extendfrom the free end of the extension 7 to the lower end of the jaw to giveit the necessary strength to hold the jaws firmly together after theyhave been closed to remove the fruit.

The movable jaw is caused to remain normally open orr away from thefixed jaw by Ameans of a spring 1l, which is secured to a cross-bar 12at the angular portion of the extension.

When it is desired to close 'the jaws, the operator drawsupon a stringorcord 13, the upper end of which is provided with a wire kand secured tothe free end of the extension 7, and the intermediate portion ispreferably passed through staples 14 upon the handle.

By securing the lower end of the cord to the lower staple, so that itwill just permit of the jaw being opened to its fullest extent, allunnecessary slack is taken out of the cord when the jaw is opened andthe cord is out of the way of the operator.

Secured to the fixed jaw is a conduit 15 of sucient size to permit ofthe passage of the largest fruit that may be gathered. The conduitissecured to the handle by means of hooks 16, which engage with thestaples 14,

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and the lower end extends beyond the lower end of the handle suchv adistance that it may be folded upon itself and secured by means of thehook at that end, thereby closing the conduit against the escape of thefruit. The upper end of the conduit extends slightly above the point ofthe jaw, as shown at 17, to offer sufficient room for the fruit topermit of the jaw engaging with the stem of the fruit and pulling itfrom the tree.

The movable jaw is provided with a suitable netting or covering 1S,which is preferably held outward therefrom by means of a rib 19. Insteadof the netting the movable jaw may be provided with a series oftransverse ribs 2O the ends of a portion of which are secured to theloop and the intermediate portions of all of them are secured to thebrace andalso to a series of intermediate or auxiliary loops 2l. The rib19 also acts as a brace for the jaw and extends from the point to thebase thereof and also to the cross-bar l2, to which it is secured in alinewith the spring ll.

To avoid the possibility of the fruit falling upon the upper end of thehandle and being bruised thereby, a cushion 22 is placed directly uponthe end of the handle and the curved guard 23 projects outwardlytherefrom and around the free end of the extension 7. The guard ispreferably formed from a band or wire, and the head or upper portion isprovided with suitable eyes 24, by means of which it is secured to thetop of the handle immediately adjacent to the fixed jaw by pins orscrews 25. A covering 26 extends from the cushion out over the curvedportion of the guard to a point below the free end of the extension 7 toprevent small fruit, such as cherries, from lodging in between the wiresas they pass down the conduit. The lower end of the guard is constrictcdor narrowed and is secured to the handle in any suitable manner. Thebulged portion of the guard is just far enough from the handle to permitof the movement of the free end of the extentension as the device isoperated.

In operating my device the fixed jaw is placed beyond the fruit to beremoved and the movable jaw drawn inward as closely as possible by meansof the cord, which extends down the side of the handle. As soon as thefruit has been secured the handle is drawn downward or otherwise movedso as to break the connection between the stem of the fruit and thetree, when gravity will do the rest. In its first descent the fruit willstrike upon the cushion or the guard and be slightly checked, and fromthere it will start on its course along the conduit. Vith a long conduitand heavy fruit at the extreme lower end it may be desirable for theoperator to grasp the conduit between his hand and the handle to breakthe fall of the fruit just before it reaches the fruit in the lower endof the conduit. By releasing the conduit from the grasp the fruit ispermitted to pass down upon the other fruit without danger of its beingbruised.

From the foregoing it is evident that the operator can take any portionof the fruit upon a tree wit-hout disturbing the remaining portion, andas soon as a desirable quantity has been placed in the conduit it may beremoved by simply unhooking the lower end of the conduit and letting thefruit pass out through the open end thereof.

Having described my invention, I claiml. In a fruit-picker, thecombination, with a handle, the upper end of which is provided with acushion and a rigid jaw, of a guard extending from the cushion, aspring-actuated jaw pivotally secured to the handle below the rigid jawand provided with an extension, the free end of which is adjacent to theguard, a conduit from the rigid jaw, and a cord from the free end of theextension for operating the movable jaw.

2. In a fruit-picker, the combination, with a handle, of a jaw rigidlysecured to the upper end thereof, a curved guard extending outwardlyfrom the top of the handle adjacent to the jaw, a jaw movable toward andfrom the rigid jaw, the lower end of which is provided with an angularextension, the intermediate portion of one arm of the extension beingpivotally secured to the handle, and the free end lying adjacent to theguard, a spring secured to the angled portion of the extension at oneend and to the handle at the other end to normally hold said jaw awayfrom the rigid jaw, and a cord from the free end of the extension foroperating the movable jaw.

3. In a fruit-picker, the combination, with a handle, of a wire loop,the free ends of which extend along the sides of the handle and areprovided with eyes, pins through the eyes, a second loop movable towardand from said iirst-nanied loop, a portion of which is formed into anangular extension, the intermediate portion of one arm of the extensionbeing provided with eyes, pins through said eyes, braces from the freeend of the extension to said second loop, a spring fornormally holdingsaid second loop away from the other loop, a cord from the free end ofthe extension, and a conduit from the iirst-named loop.

4. In a fruit-picker, the combination, with a handle, of a rigid and amovable loop secured to the upper end thereof, said loops beingsubstantially oval and a point of the movable loop being adapted to passinto the point of the fixed loop, and having its lower end provided withan angular extension, a cross-bar in the extension, a brace extendingfrom the point of the movable loop to the base thereof and to thecross-bar, a spring secured to the cross-bar and to the handle in linewith said brace, a covering for said movable loop, a conduit from therigid loop, and

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a guard over the free end of the extension of the movable loop.

5. In a fruit-picker, the combination, With a handle, the upper end ofwhich is provided With a cushion, of arigid and a movable jaw secured tothe upper end of the handle, a curved Wire guard secured to the handle,the head of which iits the upper end of the handle and is provided witheyes for securing it ro in position adjacent to the cushion, a coveringfor the guard and the cushion, and means for Operating the movable jaw.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my Own I have hereto afxed mysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN O. WOOD.

Witnesses:

W. E. DARRAGH, J. NOEL JOHNSON.

